Machine for forming balls



G. O. HODGE MACHINE FOR FORMING BALLS April l0, 1 928.

Filed Feb. 24, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 whwm F M/VENTOR April 10, 1928. I 1,665,361

G. o. HODGE MACHINE FOR FORMING BALLS Filed Feb. 24, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 10, 1928.

G. O. HODGE MACHINE FOR FORMING BALLS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 24, 1925 INVENTOR By IM HTTORNEy April 10, 1928.

1,665,361 G. O. HODGE MACHINE FOR FORMING BALLS Filed Feb. 24, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Arm/may 3 "UNlTED STATES? 4 GEORGE ORVIL HODGE, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

Patented Apr. 10,1928

TET; OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR FORMING BALLS.

Applieation filed February 24, 1925 Serial No. 11,171.

ent spec cation an advantageous form of embodiment of the invention which, to enable those skilled in the art to practicethe same, will be set forth fully in the following description. I am not restricted to such description and drawings. I may depart therefrom, as practically stated, in a number' of particulars within the scope of the invention defined by the'claims following such description. 1

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device showing one of the rolls, or the adjustable one, tipped upwardly and the adjacent roll or the one on the left tipped downwardly.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation as seen from below in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is aside view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a ball track and is the one above the work.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the upper ball track.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the roller .ball track.

7 is a detail view of the work showing its progressive action under certain conditions.

Fig. 8 is a like view "showing other conditions. 1

in the angular relation.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of driving mechanism. I

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The device shown embodies in its make-u two cylinders or rolls, as 2 and 3, attache to the shafts 4 and 5 which, as shown, are

in parallelism. The shafts 4 and 5 have at their front ends ball bearings, as 6 and 7 respectively, between which the stock is fed, as represented in said Fig. 1. One shaft, as 5, is adjustable toward or from its companion shaft to conform to the size of ball being rolled and also tomaintain the proper angular adjustment of the rolls 2 and 3.

Fig. 9 is af'side elevation the two rolls The shafts 4 and 5 are connected at their back ends by universal joints, as 8 and 9, with driving mechanism as will hereinafter appear and as represented in said Fig. 1. The rear members of each of the universal joints 8 and 9are furnished 'withrearw'ardly extending shafts, as 10 and 11, connected in turn by universal joints, as 12 and 13 respecwith the driving mechanism. The

tively driving mechanism, as shown, involves two pinions, as 14 and 15, shown in Fig. 10 and with intermediate spurgear, as 16, as shown also in Fig. 1, but represented best in Fig. l0.- By the construction described both shafts and their adjacents are driven in the same direction and at the same speed which is an important consideration.

The rolling rolls 2 and 3 have in their periphery spherical grooves, as 17 and 18, and in which the stock to the roll is fed. As shown, the rolls 2 and 3 have three complete threads, but this is not essential, or at least is not vital except in accordance with the diameter of the ball the number of whorls may be increased. Referring to the diameter or size of the roll 2 or 3 one of them is laterally adjustable and in this case the roller 3 is laterally adjustable. In Fig. 2 the housing 19, which sustains the roller 3 and its component parts, is connected with the companion housing 20 by bolts as 21, the threadedends-of which receive nuts, as 22, by turning to the left or ofi the bearing 19 can be ad usted to the right. in Fig. 2. By running'the nuts to the right the opposlte efiect can be obtained during which time the housing 19 slides on the upper surface of the stationary foot-piece 23, as best shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 1 the shafts 4 and 5 have adjusting nuts, as 24 and 25 and 26 and 27 respectively, the "nuts 24 and 25 engaging side faces of the cylinder 3 while the nuts 26 and 27 receive between them the complemental cylinder 2, as best shown in Fig. 1..

tion. As the balls feed they are subjected at the bottom of their progress by some cooling agent, such as a stream of water or oil playing upon them The lower portion of the'balls, in their travel through the race, might pass through a vat containing water or other cooling .agent as the balls travel as will later appear. In said Fig. 4 and in Figs. 5 and 6, I- have represented the progress taken by the balls. In said Fig. 5 the numeral 28 denotes the ball track shown in said Fig. 4. The halls are introduced in the mouth 29 and travel down it and then enter the space 30, Fig. 4. As each ball advances the ball or balls in front are caused to travel in the direction of the arrow in said Fig. 4.

Each ball in leaving the portion 30 enters the tube, as 31, which is connected at its ends by a nut 32'which acts against the flange 33 on an end of the tube, the nut effecting in and out movement of the tube 31 for adjustment. It will be understood that in the opening 34 a cylinder, as 2 or 3, is positioned and it feeds the balls to the right in said Fig. 4 so that the power of the cylinders is affected to keep the balls constantly advancing which is the same speed as that of the lead of the grooves of the rolls.- In said Fig. 6 is shown a construction adapted to the lower roll and this structure is very much similar to that of Fig. 5 except that the corresponding parts which. will bear prime marks. In Fig. 7, is shown a blank which is diflerent from Fig. 8 and it would be well to explain the reason for this diflerence. In

Fig. 8 the grooves or continuous groove in each cylinder is cut" parallel to the center line of the cylinder whereas in the construction shown in Fig. 7 is cut parallel to the surface of the cylinder and it will be understood that the rolls 2 and 3 are a trifle conical in shape. I should call attention to the fact that the point of intersection of the finalpart or whorl of each pair of grooves of the cylinders 2 and 3 are coincident, as shown by the center lines of the shaft in Fig. 9.

It is quite proper to observe that the diameter of each ball must be greaterthan the work. I also wish to observe that the grooves in the rolls may be made parallel for different sized balls with the tilting angle constant by using rolls and determined diameter to thus provide for lateral adjustment.

What I claim is:

1. A ball forming machine comprising a pair of spirally grooved rolls, means for rotatively drivin said rolls, balls serving as means for gui ing the work, and ball track and easing structures serving as means for respect to each other whereby the companion grooves will approach parallelism, ball tracks and ball cases containingballs and positioned between the rolls and propellable forwardly by the power of the rolls to guide the work being formed.

3. A ball forming machine comprising a plurality of similarly spirally grooved rolls having complemental parts and tilted with respect to each other whereby the companion grooves will approach parallelism and 5. A ball forming machine comprising spirally grooved similar rolls having complemental portions, means for relatively laterally adjusting one of the rolls, means for relatively longitudinally adjusting one of the rolls, ball tracks, ball cases to receive balls and means to adjust the length of the ball cases and positioned between the rolls to guide the work being formed.

6. A ball forming machine comprising a plurality of rolls and supporting shafts therefor, means for preventing longitudinal movement of the shafts, ball tracks and ball cases to contain balls and positioned between the rolls to guide the work being formed.

7. A ball forming machine comprising complemental rolls of predetermined diameter having a definite number of spiral grooves with complemental portions, duplicate mechanism for driving the rolls, means for longitudinally adjusting one of the rolls and tilted with respect toeach other at a fixed angle whereby the companion grooves will approach parallelism, ball tracks and ball cases positioned between i the, rolls to guide the work. Y

8. A ball forming machine'comprising a plurality of spirally grooved rolls having complemental portions, ball tracks and ball cases filled with balls of greater diameter than those to be produced and positioned between the rolls to guide the work being formed and to sustain the balls when no -.work is passed through the machine.

9. A ball forming machine. comprising two spirally grooved rolls having. complemental parts, the latter part of the companion whorls being under pressure contact to sever the finishedball from the work being formed and a pair of oppositely dis- 11. A ball forming machine comprising a, 10

posed sets of guide balls serving as means pair of spirally grooved rolls, grooves semito guide the work through the rolls. circular shaped havin a portion of the 10. A ball forming machine comprising guide balls for guidingt ework,and grooves I complemental spirally grooved rolls, duplirelieved at the edges to conform to the shape cate mechanism for driving the rolls, ball of said guide balls and to sustain the balls 15 tracks and ball cases containing balls posiwhen work is not being formed.

tioned between the rolls to guide the work In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

to be formed. GEORGE ORVIL HODGE. v 

